In America they have been doing business for a long time and many people there know how to make it profitable. In this country, non-standard ways of making money that bring good income. Many American entrepreneurs have been earning big money from kiosks for a long time. fast food, on environmentally friendly products, and even on paper dishes for home delivery.

These are, of course, not all ideas developed in America. This country is simply teeming with creative ideas that can be implemented in Russia.

Let's look at the most popular ideas in the USA.

American business ideas are mainly aimed at factors:

• providing the population with work, that is, employment;
• replenishment of the state budget treasury;
• development of the social sphere;
• positive dynamics of growth of economic sectors.

Even though America's national debt is growing, it remains a prosperous country. And this is mainly due to the good development of the country's business structure.

Many entrepreneurs are developing new and profitable ideas, which we will now consider.

Children's mobile toys

Everyone has mobile phones - both children and adults. A mobile applications There are practically no films aimed at children.

What is required for organization:

1. Availability of specialized software.
2. Experience and skills in child psychology can be used as an assistant to one of the children or nephews.
3. Great desire to work.

You can use ready-made children's applications as ideas; they can simply be optimized and supplemented with creative nuances. For example, you can use an application that selects cartoons of a certain topic from YouTube.

Creation of a rope park

It is worth noting that the number of vacationers is increasing every year. Therefore, it is worth taking advantage of this fact and organizing a successful business.

Organization of a rope park - a good option relaxation for parents and children. The rope park can be opened in two types - open and closed.

In order to organize an open park, less investment will be required than in a closed one. The disadvantage is that it can only work in the summer.

If you want to get more profit from it, then organize it at some popular resort. But the activities of the closed park will be carried out all year round.

You need to understand that artificial conditions can quickly get boring for visitors. Therefore, it needs to be periodically modernized and supplemented with new products.

The idea will be able to pay off in about two years.

Catering

Few people have heard of such a business as catering, but it’s not scary. You can make good money on it, and that’s the main thing.

Its whole point is to deliver homemade food and drinks to the home of those who are tired of fast food. Responsibilities include mediating between the client and the restaurant, which is responsible for preparing the food.

You will develop menus and deliver food to customers' homes. For a business to thrive, you need to constantly come up with new and unusual dishes that will be in great demand among customers.

If things go well, then in the future it will be possible to hire cooks and couriers who will be responsible for delivering delicious meals to hungry customers.

Car wash

Opening a car wash is a very profitable business that brings good profits. There are more and more cars on Russian roads, and therefore the demand for car washing is increasing.

To open a car wash, you don’t need to purchase special certificates, the main thing is desire.

Advantages:

1. Increased demand.
2. High profitability.
3. Minimal competition.

Negative sides:

1. High initial investment, which not everyone can afford.
2. Often taking out loans.
3. A car wash is a job with water; there will be high humidity in the room, which will require frequent repair work.

Now it’s worth considering the level of income as an example. As an example, we use a dry wash in a large mall next to a parking lot for 150 cars.

For maintenance you will need an administrator and two car washers.

Approximate calculation:

1. The average cost of washing a car is 300 rubles.
2. The daily average number of clients is 30 people.
3. Income per day – 9,000 rubles.
4. Average income of employees, 40% of revenue – 3,600 rubles.
5. Cost per car ( detergent+ washing towels) – 35 rubles.
6. The cost level for each day is 30 * 35 = 1,050 rubles.
7. Profit per day = 9,000 – 3,600 – 1,050 = 4,350 rubles.
8. Profit per month = 4,350*30=130,500 rubles.
9. Rent of premises per month – 15,000 rubles.
10. Taxes per month – 5,300 rubles.
11. The level of net profit for the month will be 130,500 – 15,000 – 5,300 = 110,200 rubles.

The period during which the car wash will pay for itself will be 2 years.

Luggage storage

This service is not new and many have heard about it for a long time, but few people use it. Therefore, competition will be minimal.

Especially relevant business will be on the beaches. After all, many come there with things or purchases that they purchased on the way to the beach, but there is nowhere to put them and few people dare to leave them unattended.

What is the essence of this business? Cities have rivers, seas with beaches.

Quite often there are several beaches. You can agree with the administration to rent a small space to install luggage storage facilities.

What is required to open the service, cost:

1. Buy a section, several sections with cells for storing things - $400.
2. Rent of space for installing sections – $100.

What income will be generated as a result of the activity?

The profitability of the service will directly depend on the rental price of the cell. If the cost of renting a cell is $1, then the income level from 24 cells is $24. The monthly income level will be $720.

The business will pay for itself in a month.

Ideas for business from the USA can be taken from the video.

Making bricks from waste

One creative idea is to make bricks from industrial waste. The main advantage of these bricks is that they do not need to be further fired.

Materials used for the production of bricks:

1. The main component, 70%, is ash.
2. Clay.
3. Lime.
4. Sodium hydroxide.

The production of Eco BLAC is a profitable service, because many energy enterprises are willing to pay money for the disposal of boiler ash. As a result, a businessman can earn money by producing bricks and removing waste.

The production of this material is based not on firing, but on alkaline activation. Bricks are formed from waste at a temperature environment using alkaline activation.

There is no need to purchase expensive equipment for production, which means costs will be minimal.

Taxi and pet hotel

In the US, pet taxis are in great demand. It is advisable to open this activity in big cities.

This service is mainly aimed at rich people. The whole point of this service is to accompany the pet to veterinarian and back.

You will need a large car and spacious cages for animals. Earnings directly depend on the tariff that you set yourself.

Pet hotels are popular in America. The whole point of the service is to care for and house the animals.

It is not necessary to rent a separate room; if possible, you can leave animals in your home. IN Lately This service is in great demand because many owners cannot take their animal with them on vacation or on business trips.

But a hotel for pets is a profitable solution. It is better to open a business in a big city, in small town it will be unprofitable.

Employment agency

Unemployment is a pressing problem in the world, so finding a job has become quite difficult. But you can make money from this by simply opening an office in which you will offer employment services.

So what are the benefits of this service? You can earn money with the help of employers interested in finding specialists.

What is required for this service?

Rent a room and purchase computers on which clients will perform tests of knowledge and level of suitability for the desired position. As a result, the client will be able to get the long-awaited job, and you will be able to get a percentage of the number of contracts concluded between clients and employers.

Opening a consignment store

The essence of this business is based on the fact that you buy used and old things from people at a reduced price. You give it a marketable appearance and sell it at an inflated price.

As a result, you get the difference between cost and sale. And clients are happy that they got rid of unnecessary junk and received money.

This business requires only two conditions:

• rent premises for a warehouse and store;
• develop an advertising concept.

Opening of the market for used cars and auto parts

This service in America has been bringing profit to many entrepreneurs for a long time. Purpose of this collection service the right people with common interests in one place.

What is required to open a business? Rent a small plot of land, preferably outside the city.

Then you need to build a small mini-market selling cars and spare parts.

This event is held only once a week. And the profit lies in collecting money for entering the territory of the mini-market.

As a result, you get money, and sellers get their target audience. The buyer remains in the black; he will be able to see everything he needs in one place.

Vending machines

This is a fairly convenient service. These machines can sell drinks, food and various small goods almost around the clock.

To run a business, it is enough to purchase this machine and rent a small piece of space to install the machine. Rest assured, the activity will pay off in the first month.

Restoration of feather pillows

Oddly enough, this idea also came from the USA. Pillows are an essential item for healthy sleep.

Over time, the down filling deteriorates, breaks down, picks up moisture and dust, and as a result, linen mites and other harmful microorganisms may appear there. Therefore, periodically the filler needs to be pulled out, dried, and shaken.

Many people face this problem, so this case will be in high demand.

To open, you will need to rent a room, purchase a device for restoring pillows, a vacuum cleaner and a sewing machine. In general, opening will require from 100,000 rubles to 250,000.

The most famous American sites for fresh business ideas

If you suddenly decide to open your own business and don’t know where to start, then American websites with detailed descriptions of fresh business ideas can help with this.

Of course, starting a business is a responsible matter and requires a careful approach.

If you decide to open a business and want it to generate income, be sure to familiarize yourself with the initial basics and study what will be in demand in your city.

You can also explore creative ideas from the USA and choose the most suitable one.

Promising business ideas that are in demand in the USA are presented in the video.

In contact with

Wisdom has also been added to the main personality traits of a successful businessman. Work experience allows us to understand the essence of the laws of development and prosperity of certain market segments. However, there comes a point when competition in the main areas of business is so high that you have to borrow ideas from other countries.

The desire for European standards and the American way of life, the flooding of the Russian market with Chinese products are pushing people to look for ideas for implementing new areas of business in their country. Innovative products and services make it possible to occupy niches that are still free, in which only a few work today.

Options for ideas from America

• Selling unique cases for stylish and ordinary car models. This device protects against ultraviolet rays, precipitation and mechanical damage. Buying such a cover will cost a number of car enthusiasts less than repairing the hood or changing headlights. For Russian entrepreneurs You can try to buy such cases in the USA and resell them at home.
• Construction of unique garages is unlikely to be as popular as in America. This niche is on Russian market busy, and the buildings are of great variety. There are also plenty of companies involved in individual design and design.
• Food truck moving around the city, very popular in the United States. The variety of food and accompanying performances by artists to brighten up customers' expectations attracts the attention of Americans. These vans are very popular in Washington. Whether anyone will be able to organize such a “nutritional and entertainment” business in Russia is a moot point. Strict sanitary and hygienic rules and huge competition in the field Catering made a demand for similar services minimal.
• Idea "taxi for animals" suitable for wealthy residents of large cities, more precisely, for Moscow and St. Petersburg. The task is to accompany the animals to a specified location, in particular to a veterinary clinic.
• Personal consultations, popular in the USA, are unlikely to be in demand among Russians. Our people are more confident in themselves and usually don’t need anyone’s advice. The exception is lawyers, but this niche is so densely occupied that inexperienced beginners have nothing to do here at all.

You can learn some more interesting methods of earning money from the following video:

Options for ideas from China

• Work according to requests— resale of goods at low cost if you make purchases via the Internet. The cost of products in China is 50-60% lower than analogues in our markets. The advantage of a resale business is that in China you can find any product that is in demand in Russia - from ballpoint pens to medical and industrial equipment.
  Nowadays small business is actively developing in Russia, which requires new types of equipment for self-made construction goods, clothing, household items. China is the most mobile country in introducing any new products.
• Opening a salon selling popular Chinese goods with the placement of the store’s website on the Internet. It is necessary to organize a courier service and postal delivery. Many citizens of the Russian Federation are embarrassed to go to cheap Chinese eateries. Selling small items online can bring good income to the store owner. Purchasing can also be done online. Big investment this business will not be required.
• Organization of sales of piece goods. The essence of the idea is to purchase wholesale quantities of goods and package them in separate containers. The price will depend solely on the recognition of the product. If you manage to create a brand, then the initial cost can increase 2-5 times.
• Sale of gadgets is already being actively implemented in Russia, but the market niche is still not tightly filled, there is always room for innovation. New phones and software versions appear every day, replacing each other. Car recorders are popular. Their independent purchase in China will cost half the price of analogues offered by local wholesalers. With phones, the percentage of sales will be less, but they are often replaced.
  There is good demand for seasonal new items - sunglasses, sports and leisure equipment, as well as various electronic trinkets. All of these devices are good for inexpensive gifts to friends and acquaintances. There are many options here. The main thing is not to overdo it with the purchase of large quantities of goods, since the demand for these products is spontaneous.

Options for ideas from Europe

• Rubber production paving slabs opens up considerable prospects. The ability to find clients is important. There is no high level of competition in this segment yet. The business profitability level is approximately 40%. Rubber tiles have many advantages over analogues:
  • long service life - up to 20 years;
  • high resistance to fading and cracking;
  • no slip;
  • low cost (crumb rubber for the base can be obtained from old, disused car tires).

  Equipment required to start production: molds, vulcan press, dryer and dyes.

• Restaurant with calorie counting. This idea, with the number of calories indicated next to each dish on the menu, can be supplemented and developed further. For example, a person who has broken a calorie record can be given a bottle of champagne or a glass of wine.
• Snow advertising, which has found application in England, is unlikely to be appropriate in Russia, where there are posters and posters on every corner. It’s worth a try if winter next year pleases Russians with snow. Law enforcement officials can ban this business in its infancy.
• Unlimited taxi rides for a monthly fee. The high cost of gasoline and the insatiable desires of Russians will ruin a businessman who ventures into such a business in the first month. The investment is unlikely to pay off. Increasing taxi rental fees will scare away rare customers. The downside of the service is that it only operates within the city and is provided exclusively on an advance payment basis.
• Pizza in cup shape. The Russians liked the national Italian dish. And if you prepare dishes that have become one of your favorite snacks in edible cups, filling them with various fillings, this can turn out to be very convenient and popular.
• Processing of fruits and vegetables who have lost their external attractiveness. Appeared in Russia great amount supermarkets, where customers themselves choose the products they like. Preference is given to vegetables and fruits of the correct shape, without cracks or spots. All the rest are sent to the bottom drawers, where they continue to rot. If you conclude a lucrative contract with the directors of hypermarkets, you can open profitable business for processing fruits and vegetables into juices, dried fruits, soups and salads. Sales can be organized with the permission of the administration at the places where raw materials are purchased.

Variants of ideas from Japan

The Land of the Rising Sun offers many original ways of investing, but not all of them are applicable or appropriate in Russian conditions:

• Divorce ceremony for a nominal fee. There is nothing like this in Russia. Is it worth organizing such a business? You can try the idea as other services of banquet halls and restaurants. Perhaps decent people will want to part ways gracefully and find out all the pressing problems among their loved ones. Perhaps such an event will serve both spouses as a good lesson for the future. And friends and acquaintances will have no basis for gossip.
• Manufacturing of coolers. Applying them to the skin in hot weather reduces body temperature, making stuffiness easier to bear. Considering the hot summer in Russia, this idea is worth trying. The price of a can will be approximately $60. This cost may not be affordable for the average population, but there will definitely be clients vacationing in hot countries and at their own dacha.
• Making 3-D masks– production is expensive, but if a distribution channel is found, it is very profitable and profitable. The mask, made of high-quality material, fits on the face and is completely invisible. The business has been partially implemented in the Russian Federation, but the quality of the products leaves much to be desired.
• Practiced in Japan hotels intended for unmarried girls. In a limited and calm environment, they prepare themselves for married life. Such an idea is inappropriate and somewhat outlandish for Russia. However, you can use the idea to organize a version for couples who want to get married in the near future. Most likely, such a service will be in great demand if the price of a room for lovers is lower than the daily rental of apartments in Russian cities.
• One book store. There is no such practice of selling one printed publication for a certain period of time in Russia yet. Often, buyers visit bookstores simply out of nothing to do, without even expecting to see the long-awaited book there. The new Japanese trend is not to overwhelm the reader with a large sentence, but to introduce him to a specific publication or topic. Perhaps this method of sales will be of interest to certain circles of consumers book products. The most important thing is timely, targeted advertising. You can work according to requests.

So, I present to your attention, interesting business ideas from America. In principle, people all over the world, with rare exceptions, are built the same way. One head, two arms, two legs. Even the brains of the vast majority are “cooked” the same way. Therefore, we can hardly expect that business ideas abroad are in any way different from ours in Russia. Either they will borrow something from us, or we will borrow something from them... But still, taking into account the differences in geographical location, mentality, economic development, and other “national” features, I decided to take a closer look at “over the hill”, and in particular, at the States - as one of the leading and highly developed states in the world.

Precisely, as an “advanced” country, the United States generates business ideas for entrepreneurship with such frequency, as if it were put on stream. And then, after implementation and testing in the United States, these ideas, like waves, spread throughout the planet.

According to the results of an independent analysis, every third business idea in Russia is American. It should be noted that in terms of putting ideas into practice, Americans are much bolder than others. As with us: “I thought. I thought again. I started doing it. Encountered obstacles. While he was “bypassing”, someone else did it.” And as for “them”: “I started thinking. I started doing it." Because, God forbid, someone gets ahead.

The best business ideas from America:

• Intimate haircut services. Probably, American “intimate hairdressers” work under the slogan “It should be beautiful everywhere!” However, this idea has already gained some popularity in our country, but for the most part, all haircuts in intimate “places” are done independently. But today it is experiencing its “rebirth”, adopting new secrets of craftsmanship from “overseas” masters. Ideally, this idea will be combined with the opening of an ordinary hairdressing salon.

• Cafe: dish designer. Imagine the situation: come to a cafe, you want something, but you don’t know what exactly. Sound familiar? Then take a business idea from the States! A cafe where you can choose the ingredients for your dish yourself; experienced chefs will only have to prepare it according to your wishes.
• Selling food and drinks in traffic jams. Residents of big cities know how much time they have to spend in traffic jams. Many have gotten the hang of spending this time watching a movie or listening to an audiobook. Why not also have a snack on the road? By the way, calculate how much money you can earn by selling food and drinks in a traffic jam two kilometers long?

• Baking bakery products with a pattern on the cut. Why are these simple ideas don’t come to mind for Russian creatives? They are probably busy with more serious things. But do you agree that when you cut off a piece of bread, it will be much more pleasant to see a funny cartoon face on the cut, or something else? And you won’t have to persuade the children to eat an extra piece. However, to implement this business idea, you will first need to open your own bakery.

• Providing an alibi. Of course, we are not talking about support in committing administrative or, even worse, criminal crimes. Although there is still some deviation from moral standards here. Although, some argue that money does not smell. Moreover, those obtained from providing an alibi for an unfaithful husband or flighty wife, or from “true” photographs confirming that you were at “that” time, “there” and with “those”.
• Hotel for plants. Are you going on vacation and have no one to water your indoor flowers while you’re away? Take them to a plant hotel for the duration of your trip, where they will safely await your return under the supervision of experienced gardeners.

• Plant walls. How much do you think plants increase employee productivity at work, or, on the contrary, help them relax at home? Answer: 40 percent in both cases. This is exactly what they noticed and began to implement in American companies. But one or two pots of flowers or a lone palm tree in the corner were not enough. A whole wall of plants - just one look, and you're already in the jungle. Do you think Russian companies will accept this?

In Russia, many of these ideas have not yet been implemented by anyone, the rest are still very, very few presented, so be on time. Remember that while you are thinking about it, a more determined competitor will take advantage of the idea. If none of these ideas suits you for any reason, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the list

This year we found some great small businesses in New York, Austin, New Orleans, Detroit, Seattle and Washington. Small businesses in many other American cities continue to innovate like never before.

These successful specialists, such as a floating restaurant, a vegan strip club and a pirate supplies store, are radically reorganizing food industry and sphere retail.

We present to you our review of the 50 most relevant small businesses in the United States at the beginning of 2014.

1. Bearded Bastard

Where: Online, office located in Austin, Texas

What it is: A new brand of mustache wax.

What's the kicker: The man known as Jeremy Newton, who also sports an impressive beard, founded Bearded Bastard to help soften the toughest beards and tame the unruliest mustaches.

Products include Woodsman Hair Wax, Woodsman Beard Oil, Natural Shaving Oil, and this new Austin company is also developing many new oils and tonics dictated by the needs of men.

New items will be available soon.

2. Big Gay Ice Cream

Where: New York, 125 E. 7th Street and 61 Grove Street

What it is: A gay ice cream parlor.

What's the kicker: Big Gay Ice Cream started out in 2009 as the Big Gay Ice Cream truck, a concept that became so popular that the creators had to set up shop on permanent basis in both the East Village and West Village.

BGIC, which is known for its soft serve ice cream and shakes, sculpts awesome and cool flavor combinations with ingredients like crushed vanilla wafer Nilla cookies, pumpkin jam, or key lime curd, but even cooler are the names they give to their wonder concoctions.

There's nothing more fun than ordering a Mexican AffoGEYTO with double cream.

Where: Texas, Houston, Westheimer Road, 1018

What it is: A nonconformist coffee shop.

What's Great: Blacksmith is a coffee shop with rock-star attitude. It pays homage to Queen, and there's a photo of the band's lead singer, Freddie Mercury, on the wall.

Every time a Queen song plays here, the first customer in line gets their drink free. As they say: “When Queen plays, Freddie pays!”

4. Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-in

Where: Florida, Miami, NW 29th Street, 70

What is it: a drive-in cinema right in the city center.

What's cool: Blue Starlite is not located on a giant field with space for 300 cars. It's located right in the middle of Miami, with 18 available spots per showing.

Despite the lack of space, he still provides a deeply personal, traditional drive-in experience, even converting an old '50s Ford pickup into a movie projector.

They also serve some really cool movie snacks, like gelatin bear sprinkles, or cotton candy with the addition of explosive Pop Rocks candies.

5. Booty's Street Food

Where: Louisiana, New Orleans, Louisa Street, 800

What it is: An international street food restaurant with a hidden art gallery.

What's Great: Co-owners Nick Vivion and Kevin Farrell bring to life the idea of ​​the food you love, the best... different countries. Inspired by their travels around the world, Vivion and Farrell developed a menu that includes classic food trucks like French fries from Belgium, banh mi sandwiches from Vietnam, and empanadas from Venezuela.

And as if that weren't enough, Booty's is home to a secret art gallery (spoiler alert: it's in the restroom!)

6. Brightside Boutique & Tattoo

Where: Maryland, Baltimore, South Charles Street, 1133

What is it: boutique fashionable clothes and a tattoo parlor.

What's cool: Passersby will recognize Brightside by its sunny yellow storefront, inspired by the opening song of "Good Morning Baltimore" from the musical "Hairspray."

Voted Best Boutique in Baltimore by Baltimore Magazine, Brightside sells trendy clothing, shoes and accessories. Partners Christy Griffiths and Kukui Castillo run the business together, with Griffiths focusing on fashion and Castillo focusing on tattoos.

7. Carousel Bar

Where: Louisiana, New Orleans, 214 Royal Street

What it is: A carousel-themed bar.

What's the kicker: Drinkers gather around the Carousel Bar at Hotel Monteleone, which is built around a real, working carousel. The Old Carousel is decorated in artsy French Quarter style, with 25 seats that give you an ever-changing view of historic Royal Street.

Not only is the concept itself incredibly cool, but so is the enormous cocktail menu of Carousel Bar, which is distinguished by its martinis.

8. Casa Diablo

Where: Oregon, Portland, NW St. 2839 Helens Road

What it is: America's first vegan strip club.

What's the kicker: At Casa Diablo, all the food served is vegan-friendly, and all the stripper outfits worn—and then removed—are made without any animal products at all (however, the strippers themselves don't have to be vegan).

The strip club was featured on the IFC TV show "Portlandia" because it is popular among vegans, celebrities, and even politicians.

9. City Bird

Where: Michigan, Detroit, 460 W. Canfield Street

What it is: A craft store dedicated to Detroit.

What's cool: This is not your average arts and crafts store. The two founders, siblings who pride themselves on being “seventh-generation Detroiters,” found a way to combine their love of the arts and Detroit by creating a store that doubles as a studio and gallery.

All of the products they sell—including housewares, accessories, and various paper products—celebrate Detroit and showcase the work of hundreds of American artists.

10. Crock Spot

Where: The van travels in Denver, Colorado

What it is: A food truck that serves made-to-order, slow-cooked food.

11. Echo Park Time Travel Mart

Where: California, Los Angeles, West Sunset Boulevard, 1714

What it is: A time travel store.

What's Great: Echo Park Time Travel Mart sells everything you'll need to survive the past or future.

Including: canned mammoth meat, barbaric insect repellent, and enough anti-cloning liquid that will last your entire life.

These all seem like things no one would ever need, but it's all in good fun, which makes this place quite popular - there's even a second location, the Mar Vista Time Travel Mart.

The store is a fundraising tool for writer Dave Eggers' non-profit organization 826 National, a writing and educational center for children.

12. Egg Slut

Where: Location in Los Angeles, California

What it is: A food truck with a focus on breakfast.

What's Cool: The provocative name "Egg Slut" is part of what makes this van awesome, the other part being the balls. As the name suggests, everything on the Egg Slut menu is made deliciously from eggs.

From simple bacon-wrapped eggs to Egg Slut's signature mac and cheese to tacos, Egg Slut proves that everything is better with eggs—and it's okay to go a little crazy about them.

13. Fojol Bros

Where: Somewhere in Washington

What is it: “a traveling culinary carnival”...

Here's the kicker: The Fojol brothers are more than food truck chefs. They are also carnival performers. The brothers serve Indian and Ethiopian street food classics with basmati rice and injera, respectively.

Dressed in colorful costumes, the brothers create quite a spectacle when they appear outside government buildings and law offices, but their food is also hailed as some of the best in Washington.

14. Forbes Island

Where: California, San Francisco, Sea Lion Harbor, Dock H between berths 39 and 41

What is it: a floating restaurant.

What's special: Forbes Island is located in San Francisco's Sea Lion Harbor ( Sea lion), and he can offer best views Alcatraz and sea lions basking in the sun.

Forbes Island was originally built in 1975 by millionaire and houseboat designer Forbes Thor Kidu as a private houseboat, and while the houseboat plan fell through, the floating restaurant idea remained.

The menu is quite upscale and there are separate banquet menus for larger groups.

The restaurant had a fire in May, but the damage wasn't too bad, so they're back in business.

Where: Online, office located in Seattle, Washington

What it is: A social vacation planning site.

What's Great: Gatherball tracks what you want to do, where you want to go, and what you want to see. It also shares this information with anyone in your network who can advise you on your intended route.

It also has a personal expense recording feature, so if you're traveling with other people, you can easily find out who owes money at the end of the trip.

Where: Online, office located in San Francisco, California

What it is: An app that pays you for following your workout schedule.

What's the kicker: GymPact encourages people to go to the gym through positive reinforcement (paying you when you go) and negative reinforcement (fining you when you don't).

Users set the schedule they want to stick to and record their workout hours by checking in to their gyms in the GymPact app (locations are confirmed by a GPS tracker on their smartphone).

Those who don't meet their goal pay five dollars for each missed workout. The money is then collected by the GymPact app and paid out to those who meet or exceed their goals. You'll never miss yours Gym again if you use this app.

Where: Ohio, Columbus, Easton Station Road, 4032 and Brickel Street, 17

What it is: A vintage-inspired sportswear store.

What's cool: Homage's interior looks like a boys' dorm room from the fifties.

T-shirts, sweatshirts, tank tops and more sportswear proudly display designs inspired by the past year's college sports, politics, music, and pop culture.

Homage is where Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Lee, Larry Bird and Ohio State take back their former stylish self.

18. Honor & Folly

Where: Michigan, Detroit, Michigan Avenue, 2132

What it is: Vintage bed and breakfast.

What's Great: This unique accommodation is designed to evoke the inn of the early 1900s. In keeping with this tradition, the hotel has an antique feel, with furnishings that are in keeping with the era, such as handmade blankets, wooden tables and old suitcases as bedside tables.

The hotel also hosts cooking classes from renowned local chefs.

19. Hot Doug's

Where: Illinois, Chicago, N. California Avenue, 3324

What is it: an unusual “sausage superstore.”

What's Great: Chicago is famous for its hot dogs, and Hot Doug's is one of the best places to try one. They have more than a dozen signature and special varieties, including the jalapeño rattlesnake sausage, the beer-soaked bratwurst, and the meatless hot dog.

All hot dogs can be made even more unique with ten different dressings and a range of exciting sides, including duck fat fries.

20. Hotlips Pizza

Where: Several locations in Portland, Oregon

What is it: a green pizzeria.

What's Great: Hotlips is the proud owner of five pizzerias in Portland, but their most prized location is in the heart of the Pearl District, at the Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center, which has earned Gold in Energy and Environmental Design Leadership.

This super eco-pizzeria sources locally grown ingredients, uses waste heat from its ovens to heat water, and makes deliveries using electric vehicles. Crispy, gluten-free pizza and vegetarian pies are their specialty.

21.jm Curley

Where: Massachusetts, Boston, Temple Place, 21

What it is: A burger joint that offers themed menu additions every week.

What's Hot: Jm Curley, named Boston Magazine's 2013 Best Burger, now serves seven new themed items each week.

In October, for example, chef Samuel Monsour debuted a "Goodbye Breaking Bad" menu, featuring the Heisenburger, Los Pollos Hermanos fried chicken quesadilla, and a blueberry almond donut with "96 percent blue icing."

22. Kennedy School

Where: Oregon, Portland, NE 33rd Avenue, 5736

What it is: A boutique hotel and music venue in an old elementary school.

What's Great: Kennedy's has long been a beloved Portland institution, dating back to its opening in 1915.

And although it has ceased to function as a school for the last forty years, it has not lost its charm. The building now has 57 rooms, six bars and restaurants, a cinema, a brewery, and a large concert hall.

Guests can also enjoy the beautiful and luxurious pool area where the teachers' lounge was previously located.

23. Labobatory (Boba 7)

Where: California, Los Angeles, West 7th Street, 5180

What is it: a bar with alcoholic boba (bubble tea - tea drinks with tapioca balls).

What's the kicker: Boba 7, also known as Laboratory, is tucked away in the back of Thai restaurant Soi 7, and calls itself "the world's first boozy boba bar."

What's their signature? Of course, bubble tea mixed with Heineken, Baileys, tequila, or rum, in various combinations. They also make a really killer Bloody Mary with Sriracha sauce.

24. LTO (Limited Time Only)

Where: New York, 171 E. Broadway

What it is: A restaurant with a rotating menu and chefs.

What's Great: LTO gives chefs a chance to showcase their work and promotes opportunities to try different cuisines. The restaurant's name reflects the culture of pop-up restaurants with rotating chefs. LTO features both celebrity chefs and obscure culinary names who occupy the kitchen from one week to a month.

25. MakeItFor.Us

Where: Online, office located in Chicago, Illinois

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What it is: An online marketplace where you can ask for anything to be made by people who can do it.

Here's the kicker: Think of it as "an eBay for something that doesn't exist yet."

Creators can sign up and list things they can make for you, while applicants can request items promoted by the creator. And applicants should not at all limit themselves to the items presented on the site.

They can take anything they see on Facebook, Pinterest, or other sites and request that it be made by the creator at MakeItFor.Us.

26. Maximus/Minimus

Where: Seattle, Washington

What it is: A steampunk food truck.

What's Cool: One of the coolest things is the food truck itself, which serves some of the best pulled pork sandwiches in the Northwest from a food truck shaped like a giant metal pig.

Beecher's Handmade Cheese owner Kurt Beecher Dammeier ensures his commitment to food quality by donating one percent of sales to the Flagship Foundation, a non-profit organization that inspires children to make healthy food choices.

27. Imogene + Willie

Where: Tennessee, Nashville, 12th Avenue South, 2601

What is it: a jeans store housed in a renovated gas station.

What's the trick: don't let it get shabby appearance deceive you. Vintage-inspired, custom-made Imogene + Willie jeans—sold locally—represent classic American craftsmanship and beauty.

The husband-and-wife team repairs jeans with normal wear and tear up to three times free of charge.

28. Miso & Ale

Where: Honolulu, Hawaii

What it is: Hawaiian pop-up gastronomic pub.

What's It Cool: Founded by Chris Okuhara, whose family owns the popular Likelike Drive Inn, Miso & Ale is a new pop-up eatery that sources fresh, local and seasonal ingredients to make its delicious creations.

Okuhara combines his Hawaiian upbringing with classical culinary training to make dishes like shrimp with white meat sausage, pork belly with green eggs and ham, and a sweet dish he calls "deconstructed Girl Scout cookies."

29. Mudville Flats Boutique Hotel

Where: California, San Diego, Tenth Avenue, 747

What it is: A baseball-focused boutique hotel in San Diego's Ballpark District.

What's the kicker: The Ballpark District is the home of the San Diego Padres, and what better place to stay than a hotel that honors the famous San Diego baseball team?

Hotel rooms are fully furnished apartments with kitchens, living rooms and private patios. Of course, proximity to the stadium is one of Mudville's amenities, as are the barbecues, ideal for cooking up hot dogs and hamburgers for the game.

30. My.Suit

Where: Several locations in New York

What it is: A custom suit store that allows men to select suits in person or online.

Here's the kicker: Wall Streeters, rejoice! My.Suit custom suits for men in New York.

Once you've measured, you can go to the store to create a suit from hundreds of fabrics and fits, or use an innovative online tool to customize it to your specifications. They take even more measurements than a regular tailor, making sure the suit is perfect and ready within two weeks.

31. OKRA Charity Saloon

Where: Texas, Houston, Congress Avenue, 924

What it is: A bar that donates its profits to charity.

What's the big deal: OKRA (Organized Collaboration on Restaurant Affairs - Organized cooperation on restaurant business) Charity Saloon is a bar that donates 100 percent of its profits - from the sale of food and drinks - to various social programs in Houston every month that were selected by customers.

Each time a patron purchases a drink, they receive one vote on which charity to designate as a beneficiary for the next month. OKRA also has a large food menu, including, as you might expect if you speak English, fried okra.

32. Pangea Pal

Where: Online, office located in San Diego, California

What it is: An online service that helps travelers find the best of a city by connecting them with the people who live there.

What's cool: on Pangea Pal you have the opportunity to find a buddy, become a buddy, or be in two roles at the same time. Travelers can write to friends on the site who live in the same place they plan to visit and schedule a time to meet up and explore the area like locals do.

For the traveler it is great way meet people who really know the place well and get off the beaten path, especially if you're not fluent foreign language. As a Buddy, you'll get paid to show off the places you know and love, and you'll meet some of the cool kids to boot.

Where: Anywhere in Houston, Texas

What is it: a mobile photo booth.

What's the kicker: PhotoMoto is a mobile photo booth based on a restored 1978 Volkswagen bus.

People can book PhotoMoto for important events and parties, and two spouses, Austin and Brittany Haviken, will drive the bus right to the celebration.

34. Pizza Brain

Where: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Frankford Avenue, 2313.

What it is: America's first pizza museum and pizzeria.

What's the kicker: Pizza Brain was founded in September 2012 by Brian Dwyer, a pizza lover with a collection of pizza paraphernalia so large it filled an entire store—and is now America's first pizza museum.

Located in Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood, Pizza Brain has the largest collection of related memorabilia in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Pizza Brain is also a pizzeria and it's really good at it.

35. Restaurant Jezebel

Where: Texas, Austin, West 6th Street, 800

What it is: An elegant, upscale restaurant that epitomizes the pleasure of dining with made-to-order dishes.

What's the trick: service staff at Restaurant Jezebel will ask you about your dietary preferences and favorite dishes, and then create a personalized gourmet dinner menu just for you, served with wine, cigars, or both.

Owner and Chef Parind Vora originally opened the restaurant in Ruidoso, New Mexico in 2001, and now has locations in New York City, Augusta, Georgia, and most recently Austin.

36. Seattle Caviar Company

Where: Washington, Seattle, Eastlake Avenue East, 2922

What it is: An educational caviar store.

What's cool: Seattle Caviar Company makes caviar accessible to anyone who wants to learn more about this delicacy.

In addition to selling caviar, the company hosts tastings every Thursday evening at its retail store, where visitors can come and sample the caviar with a glass of champagne to learn about the products.

Where: Online, office located in Huntington, New York

What it is: An online store that sends you random items.

What's the kicker: SomethingStore operates on a "surprise" business model: customers pay ten dollars to get something in the mail, but they won't know what it is until it arrives. Recent items have included a floor piano (like the one in the movie Big), an Amazon Kindle, a fondue pot, and even a fedora.

While the concept seems strange and unsustainable, SomethingStore has been selling stuff since 2007, and even has its own Reddit thread dedicated to showcasing stuff received by people around the world.

38. Story

Where: New York, 10th Avenue, 144

What is it: permanent retail store, which completely changes every 4-6 weeks.

What's Great: Located in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, Story is a store that completely reinvents itself every 4-6 weeks, completely changing its surroundings, products and story.

Previous store displays have focused on 3D printers, unique artist works, and wellness-related items.

39. Sunday Dinner Company

Where: Michigan, Detroit, E. Jefferson Avenue, 6470

What it is: A restaurant turned community center.

What's special: This restaurant is not only focused on serving black cuisine, called "soul food" here. It also soothes the soul by acting as a community center whose goal is to make Detroit a better place.

They hire returning citizens who want to start new life, and host events to raise money for community projects.

40. The Beer Dabbler Store

Where: Minnesota, St. Paul, 7th Street West, 1095

What is it: a beer-themed equipment and clothing store.

What's Great: The Beer Dabbler Store is the best place for beer lovers to go other than going to the bar. They sell cool, slightly kitschy beer glassware like glasses, beer-themed artwork, beer tap handles, and branded apparel from various breweries.

They also have an impressive collection of novelty items like beer bottle candles, beer soap, and beer gear for your pets.

41. The Best Fish Taco in Ensenada

Where: California, Los Angeles, North Hillhurst Avenue, 1650

What it is: Comedy show/taco buffet.

Here's the kicker: When the owner of this taco buffet called it "The Best Fish Taco in Ensenada," he wasn't trying to be arrogant. He was just being honest.

Joseph Cordova's goal was to sell the most amazing fish taco in Ensenada—and he really does—but the buffet is also home to frequent comedy nights, where such talented comedians as Patton Oswalt, Demitri Martin and Chelsea Peretti have appeared. The best thing about it is that the show costs the same as your fish taco.

42. Pirate Supply Store

Where: California, San Francisco, Valencia Street, 826

What it is: San Francisco's only independent pirate goods store.

What's the trick: when non-profit organization 826 Valencia bought trading platform for her writing training center in the heart of the Mission district, zoning policies required her to use the space for a store.

To disguise the training lab inside, she opened a pirate store that sells glass eyes, hooks, beard trims, treasure chests, mermaid bait, and even more villainous goods. Sales benefit the center.

43. The Big Board

Where: District of Columbia, Washington, 421 H Street NE

What it is: A bar with a unique pricing strategy.

What's cool: Big Board views beer as a commodity, with the price of beer fluctuating based on supply and demand, much like the stock market. Beers are listed on a big board, which gives the place its name, which displays prices in real time.

They also serve 100 percent natural burgers with their “ liquid assets", including a menu of signature cocktails, which will appear soon.

44. The Boring Store

Where: Illinois, Chicago, N. Milwaukee Avenue, 1331

What it is: A store that sells everything you could need to be a secret agent.

Here's the kicker: "We are a purveyor of only boring stuff... We are definitely NOT a secret agent supply store," the Boring Store says on its website.

Despite its name, The Boring Store, The Boring Store is everything but that. Along with fake mustaches and high-tech surveillance equipment, the Boring Store is the front organization for 826CHI, a non-profit writing and teaching center for local students.

45. The Coffee Trike

Where: Somewhere in Boston, Massachusetts

What it is: A full-service coffee bar on wheels.

What's the kicker: After competing in the US Barista Championship, Alessandro "San" Bellino felt the urge to open a cafe and joined the food truck trend. But he traded the van for a sleek, mahogany-colored tricycle equipped with a full espresso bar and refrigerator for cold drinks.

The high-quality menu includes roasted coffee from George Howell Coffee Company in Acton and milk from Mapleline Farm in Hadley, Massachusetts.

46. ​​The Garment District

Where: Massachusetts, Cambridge, Broadway, 200

What it is: An alternative department store that sells clothes by weight.

What's the kicker: This hipster vintage store processes several million pounds of clothing a year. To lighten the load, every morning when he opens (except Fridays), he unties an 850-pound bale of men's, women's and children's clothing onto the floor. Customers wade through it all and pay $1.50 a pound.

Where: Online, office located in Fairfax, Virginia

What it is: An online retail store for geeks.

What's It Great: Since 1999, ThinkGeek has served those passionate about technology, from programmers, engineers, students, hobbyists open source, and to the masses who help create internet culture.

Their best sellers include hidden camera pens, plush zombies, replica Doctor Who capes and stormtrooper uniforms Star Wars, Minecraft memorabilia, and even a horse head mask.

48. Tijon

Where: California, La Jolla, Herschel Avenue, 7853

What it is: handmade, custom-made perfumes.

What's special: Tijón sells handmade perfumes using its own recipes, but also gives customers the opportunity to create their own unique scent.

For aspiring perfumers, Tijón runs training courses, complete with a lab coat, where students learn to break down the different elements of fragrances and how to blend and isolate them to create unique combinations.

49. Unclaimed Baggage Center

Where: Alabama, Scottsboro, 509 West Willow Street

What it is: A store that sells items left in unclaimed airport baggage.

Here's the kicker: Of the 0.5 percent of checked bags on domestic U.S. airlines that don't arrive with passengers at their destination, a whopping 95 percent of those bags find their way home within five days.

The rest make their way to the unclaimed baggage center, which operates under an agreement with airlines and other transport companies. This one-of-a-kind retail store cleans and sells clothing, jewelry, merchandise and other abandoned treasures.

50. Zombie Apocalypse Store

Where: Nevada, Las Vegas, Spring Mountain Road, 3420

What it is: A store that sells everything you might need to survive the zombie apocalypse.

What's Cool: Like most things in Vegas, the Zombie Apocalypse Store is both kitschy and eye-catching roadside attraction.

Holding ready-to-eat food items in large quantities, gas masks, machetes, tire checking tools, this unique retailer will prepare you for natural disasters, government shutdowns, and supernatural attacks.

Based on materials from www.businessinsider.com